No Way Out
by laurenwrites
Summary: Jade is glaring at him, completely unsure of why he's looking so forward to spending the holiday with the people who annoy her to no end. "Please remind me again why I'm dating you." / In which Beck and Jade go to the lake with her entire family for the 4th of July. Bade.


**I'm warning you right now: ****this has a lot of fluff and zero plot. It's also all Brittany's fault.**

* * *

"I'm not going."

Collin West sighs and folds his arms across his chest. "The entire family is going to be there. You're not skipping out on this just because you want to be difficult, as usual."

Jade rolls her eyes. "You couldn't make me go if you tried, and you know it. Just because you and Ellen want to show off your new little lake house doesn't mean I'm obligated to waste my holiday there." She has a point, and Collin is fully aware of his daughter's tendency to get and do what she wants.

"Alright," the impatient lawyer sighs, drawing his wallet from his back pocket, "what's it going to take to get you to go willingly? A hundred? Two?"

Jade narrows her eyes and matches his body language by crossing her arms. "Let me bring Beck."

"Absolutely not."

"Then I'm not going. _You_ can tell Aunt Audrey that your daughter decided to skip out on the family fun week because she didn't want to be stuck with her annoying ass kids."

Collin grimaces. "He doesn't even have a place to stay."

"You and I both know that that house has at least four bedrooms. But even if it didn't—he'll stay with me. In my room."

The older man takes a swig of his whiskey and nearly chokes on it when the words leave her mouth. "Jade, don't be ridiculous."

His daughter laughs, and it's clear to both of them who holds the cards in their game of banter. "We've dated for four years—as if he hasn't stayed in this house before," she scoffs. "He stays with me or neither one of us comes—and I spend the weekend with him. In his RV."

Collin is fuming, but she hasn't left him much choice in the matter. When he doesn't respond, Jade takes the opportunity to continue talking. "If anything, this will help _you_. Aunt Audrey and Aunt Heather both love Beck—and so do their husbands. Besides, without him there, I'd be a total bitch. And you wouldn't want that."

"Jade," he cuts in, obviously exasperated, "watch your mouth." He sighs and takes a long pause. "Alright. If he's not ready to leave by two, he's not coming."

Jade smiles, clearly pleased with the outcome of the conversation. "We'll be ready—and the two of us will go in his truck."

.

"It's not going to be fun. I don't know why you're so excited."

"Are you kidding?" Beck is grinning widely as he looks momentarily at his girlfriend. "Spending the 4th of July at the lake at a sick house with your family? This will be awesome!"

Jade is glaring at him, completely unsure of why he's looking so forward to spending the holiday with the people who annoy her to no end. "Please remind me again why I'm dating you."

Beck grins. "Jade, _please_," he says. "I have a great body and my hair is very close to perfect. I'm a catch."

"Your body is _okay_," she lies, failing to knock down the ego he's pretending to build. "And your hair _is_ perfect, but that doesn't give you the right to be an asshole." She playfully elbows him and he laughs before leaning over to kiss her.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Mr. Catch," she says, her voice mocking him as she smiles back.

After two hours of car time, Beck's truck finally pulls into the large driveway behind Collin West's BMW. The first to arrive before welcoming the rest of his siblings, Collin steps out of his car and promptly waits for his new wife, Ellen, to exit as well.

Jade is picking up the empty Starbucks cups when Beck uses his fingertips to catch her chin. "Stop worrying," he says.

"I'm not worry—"

He cuts her lie off with a kiss, and soon they're pulling their bags out of the truck and following her father into the large home. Collin, the only one who has seen the house in person (when he'd bought it from the realtor), leads the way into the opening foyer before beginning a tour of the home.

The bottom floor is enormous and consists of a kitchen, living room, home theater, master bedroom, guest room, dining room, and two French doors leading to the outdoors. When the four step outside to see the backyard, it becomes excruciatingly clear just how expensive the property is. An infinity pool sits in the ground before them, including a hot tub in one of the corners, and beyond that is a large yard bordering the lake. The boat dock is on the left and contains a large speedboat and four jet skis, all pre-bought by Collin.

The second floor has four bedrooms and bathrooms, one set of which belongs to Jade, as well as a game room and a study.

"Jade," the lawyer says, spinning on his heel to face the recent high school graduates, "the last room on the right is yours. Be ready for dinner at seven o'clock, please—that's when the rest of the family will arrive. Until then, do as you wish. Just don't get anymore piercings, if you can contain yourself."

The eighteen-year-old has to stifle a laugh (as does her boyfriend) as Collin and Ellen disappear down the marble staircase. Jade grins and looks back at Beck to grab his hand. "Come on," she says, dragging his happy self down the hall and into the bedroom.

"Oh, yeah," he says as they enter the large space—which (much like Jade's room at home) is complete with a king-sized bed, wall-mounted HDTV, walk-in closet, armoire, and door to a private balcony. "This is incredible." Beck sets his bags down by the bed and turns back around to face Jade. "Even if you don't want to hang out with your family, you have to admit this place is awesome." When she still looks unimpressed, he takes a step towards her and pulls her into his arms. "Babe, there are _at least_ five different places we can have sex in this room," he says, spreading his grin onto her face. "And I can't even count the number of places we could do it in this whole _house_."

As soon as she's laughing, he rolls her onto the cushiony bed and hovers over her body to kiss her. "There's even a hot tub," he adds between kisses, raising his eyebrows.

"That _was_ really fun last time," she admits, the smile still not having disappeared from her face.

Beck laughs. "And we've got four days to find time to let history repeat itself."

.

By the time Collin West's sister and brother arrive—each of their families in tow—Jade and Beck have spent plenty of time exploring the large lake house. They're dressed and back in the entryway just in time to see Audrey Johnson and her family pull up to the drive. The youngest of Collin's siblings, Audrey, has three children with her husband, Aaron.

Mary Kate, their thirteen year old, is the first to jump out of their car. Her younger brother, Justin, is quick to follow—and the baby, four-year-old Lucy, tags closely behind her sister.

"Jade!" The young teenager exclaims upon entering the house. "You came!" Mary Kate, who's never been quite old enough to understand Jade's somewhat bitter outer shell, hasn't ever paid much attention to it. At her age—despite the fact that her older cousin might often come off as rude or annoyed—MK sees Jade as a goddess. She's beautiful, with a hot boyfriend and an amazing voice; what's not to idolize?

"Yeah, I came," Jade replies, not bothering to hide her bored tone.

"Hi, Beck!" She moves on, smiling brightly at the older boy.

He returns the greeting and then does the same for MK's younger siblings. Justin, who turned eight just a few weeks ago, jumps up to reach Beck's high-five and immediately pulls his football out of his backpack.

"I got this for my birthday," he says eagerly. "Can we play with it later?"

"For sure!" Beck promises him, and Jade wonders how her boyfriend learned to interact with kids so well when he doesn't have any siblings or young cousins.

While Collin and Ellen greet the adults outside, Beck carries on his conversation with Justin and Mary Kate. Jade, meanwhile, is suddenly taken aback when she feels a little body wrapped around her leg.

"Oh," she says, looking down. "Hi, Lucy."

The innocent little girl is smiling up at her cousin. "Hold me!"

Jade feels a twinge of guilt, and an encouraging look from Beck prompts her to lift the four-year-old into her arms. "Did you have a good trip?" She asks, trying to dispel the awkwardness.

"Uh-huh," Lucy answers with a nod of her head. "Mommy played the My Little Pony movie in the car."

"That's…fun," the older girl responds, and she's thankful that the conversation ends there because the adults are entering the home.

"Hi, Jade," Audrey greets. "I see Miss Lucy here convinced you to pick her up. You can put her down when you want," the older woman says, fully aware of how clingy her daughter can be. "As much as she tries to convince us otherwise, her legs work perfectly fine." When she turns to Beck, whom she knows her young son adores, she gives him a smile. "It's good to see you, Beck."

"You too, Mrs. Johnson," he replies kindly. Before anyone can say anything else, Collin and Audrey's brother Cole is making his way into the house. His second wife, Heather, and the four kids follow behind.

Exchanges between all of the family members fill the air in the entry foyer, especially seeing how the West kids are usually quite rambunctious. The twin boys, Elliot and Ethan—typical sixteen-year-old guys—are already tossing a ball to each other back and forth with their younger brother Mason. Scout, the only girl among her brothers, is ignoring any social contact as she tunes into her headphones and barely makes eye contact with anyone at all.

"Yo, Beck!" Elliot shouts from where he stands on the staircase. "You down to play some X-Box later?"

"We gotta take the jet skis out for a spin, too," Ethan adds.

Jade hates the idea of her cousins taking her boyfriend away from her, but he apparently has no such worry. "Definitely!" Beck answers, fully aware of just how much the younger boys look up to him. "Jade and I were out on them earlier and they're sick."

His girlfriend, who's still holding Lucy in her arms, nods her head. Elliot and Ethan both grin back at Beck before running up the stairs to find the bedroom with the biggest TV.

As the family files into the rooms, it turns out that there's just enough space. Cole and Heather stay in the guest room downstairs, while Aaron and Audrey take the largest upstairs bedroom. Scout, Mary Kate, and Lucy share the room closest to Jade and Beck's; and Ethan, Elliot, Justin, and Mason take the next one down.

By eight o'clock, everyone is ready for the dinner that Ellen has prepared. The table is bustling with talk of work, summer plans, and excitement about the weekend to come. While the adults are much more reserved, the children show virtually no signs of being anything but well-adjusted.

Jade mostly keeps to herself—other than occasionally answering questions that Mary Kate or Lucy ask—but Beck is just the opposite. Since all of the boys are practically obsessed with the twenty-year-old, he's right in the middle of the conversation. Lucky for Beck, he's far from a stranger to sports, video games, and the latest action movies.

Later that evening, once everyone has retired to their rooms for good, Beck and Jade enter the large bathroom attached to their room and begin their nightly routine. "I forgot how cool your cousins are," Beck says, dragging the toothpaste across his brush. "They're pretty fun."

Jade furrows her eyebrows. "How much wine have you had to drink?"

Beck laughs. "Not as much as you, Miss Third Glass," he teases, playfully elbowing her.

"I needed a third because my family is annoying. I don't know how you can't see that. The only one who doesn't bother me is Scout—and that's because she doesn't talk." Jade sets her toothbrush in a cup between them and starts washing her face.

"Yeah, she sorta reminds me of a girl I used to know," he says, smiling widely at his girlfriend as he wraps his arms around her from behind. "You know, before I broke past the walls of emo music and the insistence on hating everyone."

"First of all, I'm trying to wash my face. Get off. Second, it's not emo—it's indie—which you actually are a fan of now, _thank you very much_. And third, I still hate everyone."

"You don't hate me."

Jade hides her eye roll in her towel as she pats her face dry. "No, I don't," she agrees, moving to link her arms behind his neck. "But only because you're here with me, making this weekend a lot less miserable." She leans in for a kiss and then relaxes in his embrace before they head back to the bedroom.

By ten o'clock the next morning, the entire house is awake and in the kitchen for breakfast. Most of the kids are already in their swimsuits, excited for the long day ahead. After being asked by Justin and Mason to take them on the jet ski, Beck invites the twins to come along as well.

Jade opts to stay back, instead trying to tan on the balcony so she can watch her boyfriend from afar and hopefully get some sun. He kisses her and promises to be back soon, and then within five minutes he's out on the lake with her cousins. Unfortunately for Jade, her peace and quiet doesn't last for long.

"Will you swim with me?"

The tiny voice is sweet and soft, and Jade looks to her left to see Lucy, decked out in her polka dot swimsuit and pink floaties. "I," the older girl starts, unsure how to decline the request. "I like to lay in the sun," she finally says. "But, you can…stay, if you want."

The four-year-old's face lights up. "I can?"

"Sure, why not? You're already here," Jade points out, knowing that the little girl won't understand her tone.

Content with the reply from the girl she loves to follow around so much, Lucy climbs onto the lounge chair next to her cousin and lays on her back—intentionally mirroring Jade's position exactly.

Jade cracks open an eye under her sunglasses and take a peek at Lucy. She _is_ cute, and Jade figures that—so long as the kid doesn't make any noise—she won't have any reason to be annoyed with her.

After about twenty minutes, Jade flips over on her stomach (as does Lucy) and faces the lake. Beck has Mason and Justin on his jet ski, while Elliot and Ethan are each on their own. They're spinning in circles, making waves and trying to splash each other. Jade watches for a while until the boys come in, when she picks up her things and starts her walk to meet Beck at the dock.

Lucy, of course, follows her cousin down the stairs and out to where they're pulling the jet skis back in. The adults are taking the kids out on the boat for a few rounds of tubing, and Scout is sitting inside by herself with her headphones on—leaving Beck and Jade (and Lucy) with some alone time.

"Hey, Babe," Beck says, hanging the key in its place and unzipping his life jacket. When he's close enough, he plants a chaste kiss on her lips and smiles at her. "How was tanning?"

"Unsuccessful. But you looked like you had fun," she observes.

"It was awesome. You in the mood for the pool?" As Beck speaks, he notices the little girl trailing behind Jade. "I think someone might be," he says, nodding to where Lucy stands next to his girlfriend.

"Yep, she'll be coming with us," Jade confirms, taking the hand that Lucy is holding out for her to hold. "Floaties and all."

Beck laughs and takes Jade's other hand so they can walk to the large infinity pool. "She really likes you, huh?" He says, quietly enough that Lucy won't hear.

"I can't imagine why," is all Jade says as they approach the water. Beck watches as his girlfriend pulls her dress back off and tosses it into one of the chairs nearby. He doesn't know how she manages to constantly stay in perfect shape, but he swears that—whether she's dressed from head to toe or completely naked—she's flawless no matter what.

They're both in the water, Jade wrapped up Beck's arms, when they hear a little splash coming from where the entry steps are. Jade pulls her lips away from Beck's as she turns to see Lucy flapping around in her floaties after having jumped in. The couple watches as the little girl repeats the process again—hopping in close enough to the steps that she can quickly swim back to them and get out.

"We should play with her," Beck suggests, "I bet she'd like it, especially seeing how much she adores you."

Jade frowns. "Can't we just stay over here and make out? I was liking that." Beck laughs and kisses her again.

"I was too," he says, "but we get to do that all the time. We're only here for a few days. I _promise_ I'll make it up to you later. Deal?"

"You'd better," Jade retorts, happy that she doesn't have any reason to doubt his promise. The brunette turns in Beck's arms and faces her cousin. "Lucy," she calls, and the little girl's eyes immediately land on Jade's. "Want to jump to me?"

Lucy's eyes get big as she eagerly nods her head and rushes over to where Jade is moving to stand in the shallow end. When she holds her hands out, showing the little girl that she's ready to catch her, Lucy fearlessly leaps into Jade's arms.

"Good job," Jade mumbles, trying not to be annoyed by the water that splashes all over her as a result of the giggling little girl.

This continues for five minutes, Beck watching on and smiling the entire time. Then, before Jade can stop her, Lucy is leaning up to whisper something in her ear.

"Can I jump to Beck, too?" She asks quietly, eyeing the boy next to her cousin.

Jade laughs. "Yeah. You can."

"What'd she say?" Beck asks as Lucy is swimming back to the steps.

"She wants to jump to you," Jade tells him. "You'd better catch her, or you'll traumatize her for life."

She shouldn't have even joked about underestimating him. As soon as Lucy has landed in Beck's muscle-stocked arms, he swings her around in the water and tosses her up in the air before catching her again. The four-year-old is laughing so hard that she can barely breathe, and Beck grins at his girlfriend as he kinks an eyebrow. "How was that for catching her?"

Jade rolls her eyes and is about to make fun of him when Lucy speaks up first. "Can I show you how I swim?" She asks, looking from Beck to Jade.

"Of course, kiddo!" Beck answers. "Let's see it." When he relinquishes her back into the water, she makes her way to Jade, who pulls her into her arms and makes a believable-enough impressed face.

Lucy gets treated to the time of her life for at least fifteen minutes, during which she swims back and forth between Beck and Jade. By the time she's all worn out, the adults and older kids are coming back in from their boat ride. Lunch is served and time is spent out of the sun, but Jade decides she wants to try to get a better tan. After informing Beck that she'll be on the balcony, she heads out with a towel and her PearPad for some alone time.

Her boyfriend, meanwhile, decides to use the time to keep his promise to the twins. Beck finds them in the game room getting the XBox set up, and he helps reach a few too-tall cables before joining them on the comfortable couch. The boys are halfway through a round of NBA Live when Ethan speaks the first non-game related words.

"So Beck," the sixteen-year-old starts, "give us your secrets."

Beck laughs and scores another basket with his controller. "What secrets?"

"Come on, man. The only ones that matter!" When Beck still looks confused, Elliot steps in.

"How to get girls," he clarifies, prompting the "ah-hah" look on Beck's face.

"_Those_ secrets," he says, nodding his head. "My tricks probably aren't any good—I haven't had to use them since I was fourteen." He laughs and scores another point, effectively sending their team onto the next round of the game.

"You and Jade have been dating that long?" Ethan asks in amazement.

"Four years this October," he confirms, unable to wipe the smile off of his face. "How lucky am I?"

"_Four years_?" Elliot repeats. "And you've liked being with just one girl? What about all the other ones?"

"What other ones?" Beck asks, only half-kidding.

"I've seen some of the girls that go to Hollywood Arts," Elliot points out. "They're hot. And I bet college girls are even hotter."

"But none of them are Jade," the eighteen-year-old explains. "She's perfect—she's all I want."

"You think you'll stay together?" Ethan, whose eyes are focused sharply on the high definition screen in front of him, asks in such a carefree tone that It almost comes as a surprise.

"I can't picture my life without her," he answers honestly. "Ooooh! Nice shot."

It's quiet for another minute, until Ethan speaks up again. "So how do you get a girl like that? You know? Like, how'd you reel her in?"

"She's not a fish," Beck says with a laugh. "But, alright, here's the thing: all girls really want is to feel respected and loved. Jade is…well, she's my everything. And to be honest, I'm not afraid to show that. If you want a girl even _close_ to as good as Jade, you've got to treat her like a queen. Simple as that."

The rest of the day goes by quickly, as most of the family spends it out on the lake. Beck convinces Jade to go kayaking with him to watch the sunset, which leads to a heated make-out session in the middle of the lake. Everyone gets to bed early, as tomorrow is the Fourth of July and therefore going to be quite an eventful day.

As Beck lies in bed, his girlfriend sleeping slanted on his body, he processes everything that had been said by Jade's younger cousins. He wonders what it'd be like to have to jump from girl to girl-relationship to relationship—in search of the right person. It's that thought that makes him hold Jade a little tighter and really appreciate how lucky he is to have her. He presses a kiss to her forehead and she stirs just slightly.

"I love you," he whispers, hoping maybe she'll pick it up on some subconscious level. "Goodnight."

.

"Happy Fourth, everyone," Mary Kate exclaims as she enters the kitchen that next morning. There's a mumble of replies as everyone continues eating, sparking conversation about excitement for the holiday ahead.

Mason is the first to suggest that they take the boat over to Sandy Beach, a large island of sand in the middle of the lake where people can park their boats and jet skis to play. When everyone agrees, they pack up some sodas, waters, and beers and pile into the boat.

Once they arrive, Beck helps the younger boys out so they can throw the football in the shallow water. Jade is about to be the second-to-last one out of the boat when she sees Scout sitting alone on one of the seats.

It takes Jade a second to muster up the courage, but she eventually turns back to her cousin. "Wanna come?"

The moody fourteen-year-old, whom Jade hasn't seen interact with really anyone the entire time, looks up at her in surprise. "I'm okay," is all Scout says. Jade isn't in the mood to press, so she accepts the answer and hops out of the boat to meet up with her boyfriend.

Beck welcomes her to their game of catch, which is being played with Elliot, Ethan, Mary Kate, Justin, and Mason. The adults are having a drink as they float in their tubes on the water, leaving the kids (as usual) rather unsupervised. They prove to be fine on their own, though, simply playing and talking in the lake.

It isn't until later, when Jade is sitting alone outside by the pool, that she's approached by the girl she'd attempted conversation with earlier.

"Jade?"

The older girl looks up to see Scout standing before her, headphones around her neck instead of on her ears. "Oh," Jade says. "Hey."

"I can go," Scout says hesitantly, starting to turn back away, but Jade is quick to stop her.

"Just sit," she says, nodding to the chair beside her. Scout still looks unsure, but she sits anyways. She doesn't say anything for a few minutes, until,

"Can I talk to you about something?"

Even being the stellar actress that she is, Jade has a hard time hiding her anxiety about what the girl wants to discuss. She's in no way prepared to give a sex talk, and she has a strange feeling that the topic Scout's thinking of holds gravity.

"Ever since eighth grade," she begins, "I noticed that guys started giving me more attention." Jade nods, fully aware of what Scout is talking about. The girls share DNA—neither one of them is a stranger to The Boob Effect. "I'm starting Hollywood Arts this fall for high school," she continues slowly, "and I'm worried that it will get worse."

Jade furrows her eyebrows. Sure, the attention from boys when she'd first gotten her boobs in late middle school was obnoxious—but she never really minded it once she got to high school. Once she learned to see her chest as a part of her body that she couldn't change, she even learned to take pride in it. Not to mention the fact that Beck certainly never complained.

"What do you mean—get worse?" Jade asks, prompting another round of silence on both ends.

"Lots of them…ask me out," she explains cautiously. "They say they really like me, but I don't know if they actually do. Lots of them just want to…you know."

"I know," Jade repeats. "So, what exactly are you asking me?"

Scout sighs in a slightly embarrassed way. "You're in love with Beck, right?" The words are awkwardly spaced apart, but they're clear as day and Jade isn't going to pretend there's any sort of complicated answer to her question.

The older girl flushes. "Yes."

"Well," Scout starts again, "how'd you know he really liked you? How'd you know he was being serious, or that you'd fall in love with him?"

Jade supposes that her cousin's uncharacteristic motor-mouth is an indication that she's never talked to anyone else about this; the assumption is correct—since her mother ditched when Scout was eight, she really never had anyone to help her with this kind of talk.

"I was always afraid to fall in love with Beck," Jade says, careful not to divulge too much to the beautiful teenager. "He was popular and cute and all of the girls liked him. Firstly, not my type. Well, except for the hair. Second, I knew he'd break me; he only wanted me for one thing, I thought, and I wasn't interested in that." Scout nods her head, eager to know more.

"Over the next weeks after we met, though, he never once met any of my expectations for him. Instead, he _respected_ me. He always put me first—no matter what—and never once did he pressure me to do anything I didn't want to do. To this day, all of those things about him are still true—by the way."

Scout looks immensely impressed, as if the idea of a boy doing these things for her—pursuing her like Beck had Jade—is a completely foreign thought. "Isn't that sort of…"

"Scary?" Jade asks, correctly filling in the rest of her cousin's question. "Yes. Nothing scarier in the world than giving someone your heart. That's why you have to find the right one to give it to. And if he doesn't treat you in the ways I just described, there's a better guy out there."

Scout nods her head solemnly. "You gave your heart to Beck?" Jade realizes that—for putting on such a tough-girl facade—Scout is so much more innocent and curious than anyone else would have guessed. Jade remembers what it's like to be that age, though—terrified to ask questions or to feel things never felt before.

"I gave him my heart when I was your age," she replies, as the organ in question beats rapidly at the thought of him. "Once I realized I was in love with him, I quit fighting the idea. He made me happier than I'd ever been. He still does."

Just as Jade is about to kick herself for probably giving too much of her "nonexistent" sensitive side away, Scout gets a smile on her face that no one yet has seen at the lake house.

"Thanks, Jade," she says, standing up from her chair.

"Not a word of this to anyone, right?" Jade confirms, her eyebrows sharply raised. When Scout nods, her cousin's expression softens. "You're welcome."

An hour later, long after Scout has left and Jade has moved into the sun, Beck comes and sits in the chair next to her. He doesn't lay in it, though; instead he sits, legs on the ground, facing his girlfriend. "Hi, love," he says, leaning in to kiss her. "How's the tanning com—_oh_." When he looks down at her chest and shoulders, he sees that she's turning very pink.

"What?" She snaps, pulling her sunglasses down.

"Jade, did you put on any sunscreen?"

"Yes, Beck. Yes, I want to get a tan, so naturally I put sunscreen all over myself." Beck ignores her sarcasm and lays a gentle finger on her collarbone. "Ow! What are you doing?"

"You're getting burned," he points out. "You should really put on some sunscreen."

"I need to get a tan," she says stubbornly, replacing her sunglasses on her face.

"When was the last time you got a tan?" Jade grimaces, and Beck smiles and kisses her forehead before reaching into his own pool bag and pulling out a bottle of sunscreen. "Can I help you?" He asks, already squeezing some of the lotion into his hand.

Jade rolls her eyes but knows he's right, so she sits up and faces away from him. Beck, happy that he could convince her, begins rubbing the sunscreen in soothing motions across her back. He's careful not to press too hard since she's already burned, but he's sure to cover ever inch that he sees fit.

He lays a light kiss on the back her neck to let her know he's done, and when she turns again towards him he kisses her cheek and lips. She scoots over on the large chair to make room for him, and he quickly climbs onto it to cuddle with her. They move right into a familiar position; Beck lays on his back with his arm slung around Jade, who's laying on her side to rest her body against his.

There's a cool breeze in the air that, with the added bonus of snuggling up to Beck, quickly tempts Jade to doze off. She does, after a few minutes, and her boyfriend follows right behind. They nap for over an hour, until Mary Kate is sent out to wake them for dinner.

.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

As the cheers begin coming from the crowd of people gathered on the grass, the first firework takes off into the night sky. Beck and Jade are curled up together as they stand, front-to-back so he can hold her against him. As soon as the sparklers are making enough noise and distraction, Beck tilts Jade's chin towards him so he can kiss her.

"Happy Fourth, Babe. I love you," he whispers against her lips. She reciprocates the words and then, slowly, leans back into him.

The fireworks show has only been going on for a few minutes when Lucy approaches the young couple. "Um, Jade," her little voice croons, "I don't like the fireworks. They scare me."

Jade steps out of Beck's arms and bends down to face her cousin. "Did you ask your mom to take you back inside? I'm sure she can walk you back to the house."

"My daddy said no," Lucy answers softy. "He said I have to stay."

Without another word, Jade swoops the four-year-old off of her feet and into her arms. "There's nothing to be scared of," she says, holding her closely as she points to the fireworks. "I know they're loud and big, but they won't hurt you."

Beck smiles and wraps his arm around Jade's waist as he watches her comfort Lucy. When the show is almost over, Jade is about to tell the little girl to watch the finale when she notices that Lucy has fallen asleep on her shoulder.

"How do you fall asleep during fireworks?" Jade asks Beck, who's still smiling as he drops a kiss to her forehead.

"You're four years old and exhausted," he suggests. "I'll take her; she must be getting heavy." Jade nods and hands Lucy to her boyfriend, who holds her effortlessly.

They tuck her into her bed in the room next door before returning to their own. "So," Beck says, turning towards her, "you in the mood to go down to the hot tub?"

"When am I _not_ in the mood for that?" Jade grins as she takes a step towards him, and he swiftly leans in to kiss her deeply.

"How about a little fun before we go, huh?" Beck asks on the first break for air. She kisses him again to answer him, so he picks her up and lays her back on their bed. Beck won't be able to walk downstairs if she gets him too worked up, but he can at least treat Jade to a bit of pleasure—and he certainly takes the opportunity to do so.

It's almost midnight when Beck finally carries her down to the hot tub. "Thank you for bringing me this weekend," he says, keeping her on his lap after stepping into the water. "I've had a lot of fun—with you and with your family."

"I know," she responds, reaching up to kiss him. "I can't wait to get home, though, and just be in our apartment."

He laughs. "Me too." There's a pause, before, "I saw you talking to Scout earlier. I couldn't believe she actually opened her mouth, but she was out there for a while. What was that about?"

Jade smiles and shakes her head. "Nothing really," she answers, her mind flashing back to all of the things she'd said about her (admittedly wonderful) boyfriend. She places a gentle hand on his cheek. "But I do love you."

Beck blinks and takes a deep breath, overwhelmed by his feelings for her. He kisses her and pulls her in tightly to him. "I love you too, Jade. Always."


End file.
